The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed the alleged suspension of the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, by the Abia State chapter.
The PDP National leadership gave its reaction in a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, signed by National Publicity Secretary Hon. Debo Ologunagba.
The party described the action as “null, void and of no effect whatsoever”.
According to Ologunagba, the NWC categorically rejects the purported suspension, citing inconsistencies with the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and the party’s laid-down rules.
He said, “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the purported suspension of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great Party, Distinguished Senator Adolphus Wabara from the Party.
“The NWC categorically dismisses the purported suspension as null and void and of no effect whatsoever not being consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down Rules of our great Party.
“For emphasis no State Working Committee has the power to suspend or take any disciplinary action against a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party without due recourse to the NWC as clearly provided under Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)
“Section 57 (7) is unambiguous in providing that; ‘Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly…”
“The explicit import of Section 57 (7) is that the Abia State Chapter has no powers whatsoever to take any disciplinary action against the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, being a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.
“The PDP therefore condemns the purported suspension of Senator Wabara as reckless, unconstitutional and cautions those behind this act in defiance of the PDP Constitution to retrace their steps as the NWC will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary actions to preserve the stability of our Party and the sanctity of its Constitution.
“The NWC calls on all leaders, critical stakeholders, members and supporters of our Party in Abia State, the South East Zone and indeed across the country to disregard the purported suspension.”
